Chapter One
"Weddings are shit," Kaia muttered into her phone.
"Actually, scratch that…marriages are shit. Most especially my mom's. I would know. This is her fourth one, and she hasn't found THE ONE," she continued, shaking her head.
"You need to cut Mrs. Manetti, soon-to-be Ceemer, some slack. At least she's living her life. All you do is mope around and work," Melo chided from the other end.
Kaia rolled her eyes. She had heard all of this before. Yet here she was, getting ready to walk her mother—Kaitleen Manetti—down the aisle…for the Fourth time. She let Melo's voice fade as her mind wandered.
Her father, Julian Manetti, had been perfect, loving, and gone too soon. The accident had shredded their world. Her mother had been chasing solace ever since, moving from one fleeting love to another, searching for something she would never find. Kaia had grown used to the chaos, the disappointments, the hollow promises.
"Fuck my life," she whispered.
"Yeah, you could go on a date with that cute guy from the corner coffee shop. I think what you actually need is a good fuck. Maybe your life wouldn't feel so fucked after. See what I did there?" Melo's teasing voice broke her reverie.
"Ugh please, Melo. That's not the priority right now. Besides, I'm late for the procession. I wish you were here, though."
"Aw, baby, I know. I miss you too. Now go get your mom married and come back home to me."
"Alright. Talk to you later," Kaia said, ending the call.
If there was one thing her mother was, it was elegant. She liked everything high-end, and this wedding wasn't an exception. Kaia made her way to the elevator. The wedding was a lavish affair in one of Manhattan's tallest Upper East Side buildings. The vibe screamed timeless elegance…oh, and did she mention expensive? Very expensive.
Kaia adjusted her rose-colored brooch as she stared at her reflection in the elevator mirror. The rooftop was on the fifteenth floor, and she was oddly alone. She hoped she wasn't too late as the elevator dinged.
She was just in time for the procession. Adjusting her brooch for the second time, she hurried toward the aisle. Her mother waited.
Kaitleen was beautiful and barely showed signs of aging at fifty. She wore a simple ivory halterneck wedding dress that hugged her form with effortless grace. Her striking hazel eyes scanned the room until they landed on Kaia, then she smiled beautifully.
"You're here, my love. And you look breathtaking. I told you this silk dress would look divine on you," her mother said, stepping closer.
"Oh, Mom, you're the one that looks stunning," Kaia said softly.
"I was looking for you. I thought you'd be really late or not even show up at all—"
"Mom, are you sure about this?" Kaia couldn't ignore the knot of worry in her stomach.
"I'm here for you. But Mom, this is your fourth, and you've only known him three months. Wait a bit longer, just so you're sure?"
"Remember last time? I can't watch you go through that again." Tears pricked her eyes.
"Oh baby, I know I haven't been the best mother. I've made mistakes. But Cameron is different. Only three months, but it feels better. I haven't felt this alive since your dad left us." Her mother's hand cupped Kaia's cheek, gentle but firm. "I want to show you things can change. We love each other. We're going to be a family. You'll see."
Her mother looked better than she had in years. Her smile reached her eyes as she gazed at Cameron with a warmth she had formerly reserved only for her father. Kaia felt a dull pang in her chest. Her mother being happy with a man who wasn't her father felt like betrayal wrapped in glitter. Still, maybe this time it could be different.
"All four of us," her mother interrupted her thoughts.
"Four? What do you mean all four of us?" she asked, frowning.
"Oh, didn't I mention? You're going to have a stepbrother. He isn't here; he couldn't make the wedding," her mother said. "He's always working. Kind of reminds me of you, Kaia. You both will get along beautifully."
A brother? Ugh. That just meant unnecessary familial ties. At least with just Cameron, she could pretend they weren't a family. If she knew anything about her mom, she was going to pour all her energy into integrating Kaia into the new family. Kaia groaned quietly, rolling her eyes internally.
The ceremony moved forward. Her mother's vows poured with emotion, each word a reminder of the woman she had once been and the woman Kaia barely recognized. Cameron remained a figure of stoic precision, his sharp features softened only by the way he looked at her mother. Kaia's fingers curled around her dress, thoughts spinning. She had no experience in matters of the heart. She was twenty-five, reclusive, and her love life consisted of unreturned glances and imaginary scenarios.
The reception sprawled below the rooftop. Kaia sat alone at a small table, phone in hand, refreshing her inbox. Her mother's laughter floated through the space, bright and unrestrained. Kaia's heart pinched, part of her aching for the family she had lost, part resenting this new version of it.
"Hey baby, are you okay?" Her mother slid into the seat beside her, hand brushing Kaia's in reassurance.
"I'm fine, Mom. Just a little jet-lagged," Kaia lied, turning her phone facedown.
There was no way she was going to tell her mother that she had been awaiting a callback for an interview she did the week before, that she was "in-between jobs" and basically unemployed.
"You'll need your rest. Family dinner tomorrow. You'll meet your stepbrother; he's flying in tonight."
Kaia groaned. "Do I really have to be there?"
Her mother's brow arched in that signature look that always made Kaia feel like a child again. "Ugh, fine," she muttered. "But I won't stay for dessert. Need to be back in Boston Monday morning."
****************
The restaurant was warm and intimate. Soft light spilled over polished wood tables. Kaia scanned the room, searching for her mother's familiar presence. A waiter approached.
"Miss Manetti?"
"Uh…yes, I'm here—"
"Come with me. Your table is ready."
"Oh…okay," she followed silently, spotting her mother waving from a corner booth. A quick hug brought her back to a semblance of comfort.
"Welcome, darling! You look well-rested," her mother said, releasing her just long enough to gesture across the table.
"It was wonderful, Mom, than—" A laugh interrupted her, deep and familiar, impossible to mistake.
Kaia froze.
"Oh yes, pardon my manners," her mother began as she turned, holding Manet. "Chase, dear, meet my daughter, Kaia Manetti."
Kaia's blood ran cold.
No. No. No.
She lifted her gaze. Ocean blue eyes, sharp and piercing. Memories rushed back: her first love, her high school bully, her nemesis.
"Kaia, meet your stepbrother, Chase Ceemer."
Everything halted.
The restaurant, the soft chatter, the clinking glasses, all blurred into a haze.
The man she had loved, loathed, feared, and hated at different turns in her life was now inescapably part of her world.